Police Turn Economic Boko Haram in Bamenda Benjamin Ngah in Bamenda

           Denizens of Bamenda especially those who have to cross mille III, Farmers House before going to their respective homes at night are worried over what some describe as open extortion, intimidation and banditry by some elements of the forces of law and order.

          According to eyewitness account, these uncouth elements of the police armed with pistols, whistles and flash lights start their checks of vehicles around Farmers’ House as early as 8pm. Their mission is not just to control check car documents and congestion in the vehicle, but to check the National Identity Cards in order to extort money from “defaulters.” They do not accept any other identification apart from the National Identity Card at that hour.

           Most of them who have chosen to speak only in French, the command Language, make remarks like “c’est peut etre les Boko Haram, Tue es Boko Haram, eh toi la, Boko Haram” to terrorize and chicken out defaulters to drain the content of their wallet into theirs. Those who do not have money at times are made to sit down for hours until they pay their way. Either they are forced to make calls for family members to come rescue or they are taken away to unknown ends. This is because often, these elements never indicate from which police station they are from.

          A woman whose names this reporter is withholding for safety reasons recounted her ordeal with them at Mile three close to a popular bar. They made close to five of them sit with them for close to two hours because they had nothing to give. Hear her, “They made us sit in that bar for close to two hours. Those who had money on them paid their way and left. I had to call my child to bring my ID card and the last FCFA ten thousand I had at home for their food and I used it to pay for the five of us. When I showed them the ID, it did not mean anything to them. They did not want to see and insisted we pay else they will detain us. Some people before us bought their freedom for FCFA 3000 each. I wonder whether one cannot forget anything again.”

          At this period of insecurity and the havoc caused by Boko Haram and the SELECA rebels around the porous borders of Cameroon, going without an Identity Card in the country could be very dangerous. The police and other forces of law and order could easily under the awning of these threats by Islamic fundamentalists cause exactions and extort money from poor and innocent citizens who need peace and security more than ever before.

          What happened and is happening at night in mile III, Farmers House has given room to some people to think that these misguided elements of the police are just out to make ends meet during this month of January considered by many as a difficult months. Some people this reporter spoke to describe these uncouth security officers as “economic Boko Harams”.

          It suffices for a police man or woman and accomplices to take his gadgets which comprise of a whistle, flash light and a pistol, go out in the night, stop where they are potholes on the road and harass innocent citizen to make money.

  

NW Bar Election Campaign: Incumbent Barrister Sama Serene as Division, Intrigue, Flip-flopping Characterize Campaigns

           The atmosphere in the NW region within members of the Bar Council is electrifying as elections into the Bar Council programmed to take place in Yaoundé draws closer. The split seems not only to be between what has recently become known here as the new generation lawyers and the old guard but between the very young lawyers and the old lawyers, and to an extent between what is known as lawyers of the common law and French lawyers.

          In one of the campaign meeting organized by the current Batonier, Barrister Sama Francis in Bamenda at Dreamland Restaurant and attended by hundreds of lawyers across the divide, he was jubilant with the turn out and the harmony so far demonstrated by advocates. According to him, their unity and sense of togetherness can only do good to the North West Region and to the Cameroon Bar Association is they go to the general assembly in Yaoundé as one strong and united people with one objective.

          Designated by North West advocates as their team leader into the Bar Council election, Barrister Sama said, he was humbled by the fact that all the advocates of the North West region have endorsed his candidature into the Bar council and as president of the Bar council. He further intimated that he addressed the worries of the young generation lawyers which “they came to realize that there was lack of proper communication and the diversity of ideas and opinions.” According to him, diverse opinion and ideas is what make a Bar any Bar without any difference in opinion and ideas is a dead Bar. He further said that in the Bar the can only work as partners in diversity of opinion to build not only a strong Bar when such ideas are harnessed, but to build a better Cameroon.

          Barrister Sama also recounted some of his achievement during his two year tenure as Bar President. These included, the launching, writing and publication of the Bar result- something which had not been done for many years, the procurement of a piece of land in Yaoundé to erect a seven storey ultra modern secretariat for the Bar council and the eminent putting in place of a law school in Cameroon to rescue hundred of Cameroonians who go abroad to study law.

          As Barrister Sama vacated the Dreamland restaurant Hall on Tuesday, 20^th January, Barrister Ngnie Kamga and his team of New Generation lawyers stepped in on Thursday January 22^nd, 2015. This made vivid the divide between the incumbent and the New Generation though the differences in terms of the number of attendees, maturity and the serenity in discussion were vivid too. The Barrister Sama’s divide from all indication looked more mature and convincing in all the aspects afore mentioned.

         Barrister Ngnie Kamga speaking to journalists unveiled his ambitions, blaming the incumbent Bar council leaders of inactivity and making the Bar elitist. According to him, the Bar members was not fragmented but was merely being split for electioneering purpose. He refused categorically that the common law lawyers had a cause as far as the practice of law is concerned in Cameroon.

          Rumors of attempts to by the present Bar leadership to debar some Bar members went wild in the hall during Ngnie’s campaign. While some of the attendees dismissed such allegations as mere smearing and sought to know those who were on the debarring line, those seeking to discredit the incumbent and his team held it as gospel truth expecting to make capital gains of such a scandal. Some of the lawyers who spoke on anonymous condition, said such allegations were uncalled for and that it was an ugly campaign strategy. Debarring a lawyer is not a crime they said, if the lawyer in question is against the laws governing the practice of the profession.

          Although during campaign periods, it is incumbent on all potential voters to attend any campaign rally, the spirit demonstrated by some advocates was not anything to go by. Some of the very advocates who attended the Barrister Sama conclave were the very ones who were seen making commentaries at Barrister Ngnie’s. The kinds of declarations some of them were making indicated a sense of indecision, flip flopping. One of them during the Ngnie’s conclave strayed out of the hall into the corridors lamenting the fact that everything was blurred in his mind. According to her, the food and the drinks offered them was nothing to go by because, “we have food and drink at home. Do they think that lawyers here do not have food?”

Princess Award, You Could Be a Winner

 

Nominations and Voting Opened

Categories

1) Excellence in arts and sciences

How has this person brought development to his/her community by using arts or science to create something innovative?

2 Distinguish award for community service

*Someone who is saving other people’s lives by risking his/her own Life

*someone who is a counsellor/peace maker in the community

3 Distinguished award for leadership (what part of his/her leadership makes him a hero?)

4. Young Cameroonian award in ICT (what is this person using ICT to do for people in his community?)

4. Young Cameroonian entrepreneur (What is this person using his/her entrepreneurial advantages to do in his/her community that makes him a hero?)

5. Distinguished award in teaching (What makes he/she different and worth honoring)?

6. Medical personnel like a nurse or a doctor (How is this nurse of doctor using his/her differently?)

7. Distinguished award in philanthropy.

8. Distinguished award in public service (describe how this person's life impact others positively making him/her a hero)

9. Distinguished award in women and girls empowerment.

10. Distinguished award in Human rights.

Marie - Claire Nabila Kuja
CEO / Founder FL Global Inc.
Author/Motivational speaker/Mentor/Self-esteem Activist
Email : kujamac@yahoo.com
Website : www.falselabelseries.biz

Man Dies Mysteriously after Wife Joins Happy Widows’ Club Benjamin Ngah

Benjamin Ngah

            Inhabitants of Ndu Town in Donga Mantung Division are still to come to terms with the behavior of a man whose names this reporter  got as Tanto James who took away his own life because the wife had joined a club known as “Happy Widows’ Club”.

          The circumstances surrounding the horrendous act is still incomprehensible and doubtful in the minds of many who prior to this action were with the man who was highly spirited and exchanged pleasantries with everyone as he sauntered around.

         James and wife lived a happy and fulfilled couple`s life with their children and grand children until his wife`s affiliation to a widow`s club.  James considered this action of the wife as betrayal and could not understand the fact that he was still alive and his wife was attending a widows’ meeting. In his own reading, this act was a bad omen that would push him directly or indirectly into his early grave.

          To avert this, he sought for traditional rites to be performed between them as culture demands.  All the claims and allegations James levied against his wife met with very strong objections. Mrs. Tanto rather intimated that her husband`s move was satanic and she would never accept such things. She opted for a divorce rather than to perform the traditional rite popular known in the area as “Nchvula”.  She demanded to know what makes it weird to associate with widows even if he James was still alive.   She wondered aloud why widows suffer stigmatization, rejection and insults for the status most of them did not give an invitation to. She swore that it was only going to be over her dead body to take an oath or carry out any rituals to cleanse her from belonging to the Widows Club.

         The couple ended up staying apart as no compromise was reached. James was saddened and helpless seeing the wife going away. Although outwardly, James did not show any sign of depression but probably was being eaten up internally by the wife’s decision to show sympathy with the widows by joining them. His death has raised a lot of dust as to what actually would have been the cause of his demise as many are not very sure whether it is the wife’s behavior that has actually pushed him to death.

         James lifeless body was discovered home and there was no sign of torture, poison no suicide making people wonder as to what would have been the cause of his death.

         The creation of a Happy Widows’ Club in the area has been very much controversial. Many people who are against such a club argue that it might encourage women to kill the husband in order to inherit their property and live as happy widows. Others think the club is just a forum for the poor widows to chat ways of helping themselves and to go about a normal life after the demise of their husbands.    

North West Identified as a Hub for Child trafficking Benjamin Ngah

            According to a study carried out by International Centre for the Promotion of Creation (CIPCRE) in 2008, more than 4000 children in Cameroon have been traded in one way or the other within the ten region of Cameroon. This figure which is alarming included children between the ages of 10-17 years and the North West registered 32% of the victims. These children either work as slaves in big towns or are used as sexual objects by the perpetrators.

          It was in line to put an end this violent, exploitative, trade and inhuman treatment of children that Cinema Numerique Ambulant (CAN) with the support of Canada Fund for Local Initiative (CFLI) initiated film projection and discussion against child trafficking and exploitation project  around the North West which started from the 8th -28th  of January 2015.

       In a press briefing attended by the Canadian High Commissioner to Cameroon, a representative of the Governor of the North West and other stakeholders, Ndogmo Virginie said the aim of the project was to dissuade perpetrators from carrying out such diabolical act and to also create awareness amongst parents and guardians not to give their children out for whatever reason. She identified poverty and some cultural practices as the prime cause of child trafficking in the country and especially in the North West region. According to her, “the most disturbing part of it is that the affected families do not consider that their children are exploited and putting the children at work is considered as the prolongation of their education and the transmission of values.”

       Some films projected were drawn from across Africa and depict a horrible picture of child labor, sexual enslavement and torture.  These films or documentaries include ‘Anna, Basil and the Dealer,’ ‘Slave Children,”  ‘Victims of Uncles,’ and the ‘inseparables.’